Statistics

Standard Deviation Calculator

Sample and population spread, variance and standard error.

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Results update instantly as you type — no submit needed.

Results
Sample standard deviation
2.160247
Population standard deviation
2
Sample variance
4.666667
Mean
6
Standard error of the mean
0.816497

Working

  1. 1n = 7, Σ(x − x̄)² = 28

Quick answer

Standard deviation measures average distance from the mean; sample SD divides by n−1, population SD by n.

s = √(Σ(x − x̄)² ÷ (n − 1))

How to use the Standard Deviation Calculator

  1. 1Paste your data separated by commas.
  2. 2Use sample SD for a sample, population SD for a full population.
  3. 3Read variance and standard error too.

Frequently asked questions

Why divide by n − 1?

Bessel's correction. A sample mean sits closer to its own data than the true mean, so dividing by n underestimates the spread.

What does one SD mean?

In a normal distribution, about 68% of values fall within one standard deviation of the mean.